1. Field of the Invention
The subject auto-inflated life buoy invention concept relates to a life buoy to be worn on the waist of a swimmer which is capable of being automatically inflated by the swimmer in an efficient manner when the swimmer or user finds himself or herself in a distressed condition while in the water. The subject invention further directs itself to an auto-inflated life buoy where the user may mount a belt-like air bag container around his or her waist in a secure manner and includes adjustment mechanisms for differing waist circumferences. Still further, this invention relates to a belt-like air bag system which includes releasable fasteners mounted on an outer wall of the air bag to allow increased circumferential extension of the air bag subsequent to insert of pressurized air within the bag responsive to actuation a user. Still further, this invention directs itself to an auto-inflatable life buoy system where the user only has to press a button to efficiently inflate an air bag surrounding the waist of the user.
2. Prior Art
Life buoys are known in the art and have been used to provide flotation devices for swimmers that are distressed in the water. However, such prior art life buoys are generally inconvenient and in some cases are maintained in the inflated condition thus not providing the user with the capability of free movement of his or her body members during the time they are swimming. Other prior art life buoys which are inflatable at the discretion of the user are generally inefficient in their actuation mechanisms and do not provide a time saving operation which may be critical when a user is in a distressed condition in the water. Still further, other prior art life buoy systems do not permit adjustability of the circumferential length of the life buoy when passed around the body of the user. Still other prior art life buoy systems do not provide for automatically releasable fasteners which are released subsequent to air inflation to allow the life buoy to pass from the waist of the user under the armpits of the user.